What is the best wood to burn?

Ask ten stove owners which wood is best and you will hear ten favourite species. The honest answer is simpler: the best wood to burn is wood that is properly dry. Moisture content matters far more than whether a log came from an oak or an ash tree.

In short

• Burn wood with a moisture content of 20% or less.
• Look for the Ready to Burn logo when buying logs in small quantities.
• If you season your own, split it, stack it off the ground under a cover with open sides and allow at least a year, often two summers.
• Hardwoods such as ash, beech, oak and birch are popular, but dry softwood burns well too.
• Never burn treated, painted or waste wood, pallets or household rubbish.

Why moisture content matters most

Freshly felled wood can be around half water by weight. When you burn it, the fire spends its energy boiling that water off instead of heating your room. The result is a smoky, sluggish fire, blackened stove glass and more tar and soot condensing inside your flue.

That build-up is not just unsightly. Tar deposits in a chimney or liner can catch fire, and a stove that is starved of heat tends to burn dirtier, which is worse for air quality inside and outside your home. Government guidance on seasoning wood is clear that logs should be at 20% moisture or below before they go on the fire.

How to check your logs

A moisture meter is inexpensive and takes the guesswork out of it. Split a few logs from different parts of the stack and test the freshly exposed face, not the outside. Without a meter, dry wood usually:

• feels noticeably lighter than a wet log of the same size,
• sounds hollow when two pieces are knocked together,
• shows cracks on the cut ends and has loose bark,
• looks lighter in colour.

These signs are helpful but not foolproof, so a meter is worth having if you buy in bulk or season your own.

What does "Ready to Burn" mean?

Ready to Burn is a certification scheme run by Woodsure and backed by Defra. Certified wood has been tested to show a moisture content of 20% or less, so it can go straight on the fire.

Under the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, wood sold in England in units of under 2 cubic metres must be certified in this way. The packaging should carry the Ready to Burn logo with the supplier's name and certificate number. Larger loads of 2 cubic metres or more can still be sold wet, but they must come with advice explaining how to dry the wood before burning it. If you buy a bulk load, ask the supplier how dry it is and plan to store it properly.

Kiln dried or seasoned?

Kiln-dried logs are dried in a controlled heated chamber, which can bring them down to burning moisture in days rather than years. Air-seasoned logs are dried naturally outdoors. Both can be excellent. What matters is the moisture reading when the log reaches your stove, and how you store it once it arrives, because dry wood left uncovered will soak up rain again.

How to season your own wood

If you have space and a supply of timber, seasoning your own logs can work well. Follow the basics:

1. Cut and split early. Split logs to roughly 10cm across. Splitting exposes more surface for moisture to escape.
2. Stack off the ground. Use pallets or bearers so the bottom row does not wick up damp.
3. Cover the top, not the sides. A roof or waterproof cover keeps rain off, while open sides let wind move through the stack.
4. Pick a sunny, breezy spot. Air movement does most of the work.
5. Be patient. Wood stored under cover for at least 12 months may reach around 20%, but many species need two summers or more. Test before you burn.

Bring a few days' worth of logs indoors before use so they are at room temperature, but keep them a safe distance from the stove.

Which species burn best?

Once the wood is dry, species affects how the fire behaves rather than whether it works.

Popular hardwoods

• Ash is a favourite because it dries relatively quickly and burns steadily.
• Beech and oak are dense and give long-lasting heat, though oak in particular needs a long time to season.
• Birch lights easily and burns brightly, which makes it handy for getting a fire going.
• Fruit woods such as apple and cherry burn well and smell pleasant.

Softwoods

Pine, spruce and larch are less dense, so they burn faster and you will reload more often. They can spit a little and contain resin, but properly dried softwood is a perfectly good fuel and makes excellent kindling. The old advice that softwood "tars up chimneys" is really about wet wood, whatever the species.

What not to burn

Some materials should never go in a stove. They can release harmful fumes, damage the appliance and flue, and in some cases break the law:

• painted, varnished or treated timber, including old fence panels and furniture,
• pallets, chipboard, MDF and plywood, which contain glues and resins,
• household rubbish, plastics and packaging,
• wet, freshly cut or rotten wood,
• traditional house coal. Its sale has been phased out in England, and if you have a multi-fuel stove you should use an approved smokeless fuel recommended by the manufacturer.

If you live in a smoke control area, the rules are stricter again. Our guide to smoke control areas explains which appliances and fuels you can use.

Good fuel and a well-maintained flue go together

Dry wood keeps your glass cleaner and reduces deposits, but your chimney still needs regular attention. See how often a chimney should be swept for the guidance from industry bodies. And if your current stove struggles even with dry fuel, the cause may be the appliance, the flue or the ventilation rather than the logs.

Thinking about a new stove?

If you are planning a wood burning stove installation, or wondering whether an older stove is worth replacing, the best next step is a survey. Every home is different, and an installer can check your chimney or flue route, hearth and ventilation before recommending an appliance. Get in touch to arrange a visit and a written quote.